Crash, bang, what a picture

While it was all smiles for the cameras as far as the politicians attending last weekend’s summit were concerned, the samespirit of bonhomie was not apparent among the hordes of photographers and camera crews taking the historic pictures.

European Voice

5/6/98, 5:00 PM CET

Updated 4/12/14, 3:18 AM CET

As the press pack stood around on Saturday afternoon waiting to take the traditional 'family photo' of assembled leaders,tempers frayed and scuffles broke out. A large tripod crashed into a security guard's shoulder, putting him in hospital, and twophotographers began to question the sexual reputations of their respective mothers.

The tension worsened as the official start of the meeting was delayed for more than ten hours. For security reasons, those 'lucky'enough to have been chosen to take the family photo were forced to remain locked inside the room where the pictures were tobe taken - but no one thought to lay on any food or drinks.

Well, at least it was worth the wait, you might think, given the historic pictures they eventually secured when the heads ofgovernment appeared on the podium at midnight.

Unfortunately, some of the waiting crews missed the big moment. Just minutes before the EU leaders arrived, Council ofMinisters officials allowed a handful of them out to get refreshments for their colleagues.

Assuming this meant that nothing was going to happen for a while and it was safe to leave their posts, they duly departed É andmissed the photograph they had waited so long to take.